Inkscape an introduction

Using the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2) select the path you made in the earlier, Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool, exercise.. Use the Select and transform objects tool [r]

Inkscape:

Contents

Contents 2

How to use this user guide 3

Setting up 8

Image navigation 9

Introduction 10

Working with Layers 12

Gradients 17

Working with Nodes 20

Closing paths 27

Modifying paths 30

Working with Text and Paths 35

Saving your document 36

How to use this user guide

This handbook accompanies the taught sessions for the course Each section contains a brief overview of a topic for your reference and then one or more exercises

Exercises are arranged as follows:

• A title and brief overview of the tasks to be carried out;

• A numbered set of tasks, together with a brief description of each; • A numbered set of detailed steps that will achieve each task

Some exercises, particularly those within the same section, assume that you have

completed earlier exercises Your teacher will direct you to the location of files that

are needed for the exercises If you have any problems with the text or the exercises, please ask the teacher or one of the demonstrators for help

This book includes plenty of exercise activities – more than can usually be completed during the hands-on sessions of the course You should select some to try during the course, while the teacher and demonstrator(s) are around to guide you Later, you may attend follow-up sessions at ITLP called Computer8, where you can continue work on the exercises, with some support from IT teachers Other exercises are for you to try on your own, as a reminder or an extension of the work done during the course

Text conventions

A number of conventions are used to help you to be clear about what you need to in each step of a task

• In general, the word press indicates you need to press a key on the keyboard

Click, choose or select refer to using the mouse and clicking on items on the screen If you have more than one mouse button, click usually refers to the left button unless stated otherwise

• Names of keys on the keyboard, for example the Enter(or Return) key are shown like this ENTER

• Multiple key names linked by a + (for example, CTRL+Z) indicate that the

first key should be held down while the remaining keys are pressed; all keys

can then be released together

• Words and commands typed in by the user are shown like this • Labels and titles on the screen are shown like this

Software used

Inkscape 0.48.5 r10040 Windows XP or Mac OSX

Files used

Course files folder containing images and documents

Revision information

Version Date Author Changes made

1.0 November 2013 Carl Wenczek New notes for new course

1.1 April 2014 Carl Wenczek Minor amendments to errors and typos 1.2 September 2014 Carl Wenczek Minor amendments

to text

1.3 May 2015 Carl Wenczek Reordering of introductory pages

Acknowledgements

All photographs and illustrations are used with the permission of Carl Wenczek and Born Digital Ltd

Copyright

Carl Wenczek makes this document and the accompanying PowerPoint presentation available under a Creative Commons licence: Attribution, Non Commercial, No Derivatives Individual resources are subject to their own licencing conditions as listed

Screenshots in this document are copyright of Free Software Foundation, Incorporated

Setting up

Setting up Inkscape

The preferences dialogue is accessed from the File menu It lets you customize many aspects of the way Inkscape works

Open Inkscape and set

preferences

Steps

1 Open Inkscape

2 Choose File>Inkscape Preferences This will launch the Inkscape Preferences dialogue

Preferences worth setting include the Rotation snap angle under the Step entry; and setting the Default export resolution under the Import/Export entry

Overflow exercise Steps

1 Choose File>Open This will launch the Select file to

open dialogue box

2 You will notice that there are options along the top of the dialogue box as well as the usual list of folders and drives

down the left hand side to help you navigate and locate a file

or folder

3 Select the image file called marine life 01.jpg

4 Choose to embed the image and then click OK The aim is to try and recreate this illustration

Treat this as an overflow exercise while you are waiting, or if you finish the exercises in the course book early and would

like a challenge!

Image navigation

Exercise - Using the Zoom Tool

An Inkscape drawing can be viewed in many different ways The view can be changed by panning and by zooming the canvas The Inkscape window can be made full

screen

Open an image Steps

1 Open the SVG file called Houses of Parliament 01.svg

Use the Zoom in

or out tool Steps

1 From the Tool Box select the Zoom in or out tool (F3)

2 Move your mouse cursor over the image You will notice the cursor shows a magnifying glass symbol with a small + (plus) sign inside it

3 Click with the mouse in the image to zoom in

4 Hold down the Shift key The symbol in the magnifying glass should change to a - (minus) sign

5 While holding down Shift click with the mouse in the image to zoom out

Zoom tool options Steps

1 Take a look at the Tool Controls for the Zoom tool You will see there are other options for zooming

2 Hover your mouse pointer over each in turn to see a tool tip describing each option

Scroll bars Steps

1 To save zooming in and out of an illustration you can use

Introduction

Exercise - Create simple vector based shapes

The advantage a program like Inkscape has over raster based programs is it’s very powerful vector tool set This exercise will give you a sampling of the drawing tools that come with Inkscape

Open Inkscape and create a new document

Steps

1 Open Inkscape

2 Choose File>New and select the Default document You can change the size of the document and the units by choosing File>Document Properties

Create a rectangle Steps

1 Select the Create rectangles and squares tool (F4)

2 Your mouse cursor will change to a crosshair and rectangle Move your mouse cursor into your document and click and drag to create a rectangle

Move and resize

your rectangle Steps

1 Select the Select and transform objects tool (F1) from the Tool Box and click and drag one of your rectangles to move it

2 Take a moment to look at your selected rectangle You will notice it has eight handles One in each corner and one in the middle of each of the sides

3 Click and drag on any of these handles with the Select and transform objects tool to resize the rectangle Hold the Ctrl key down when dragging a corner handle to maintain the rectangles proportions

A Fill is a colour, pattern, or gradient inside an object You can apply Fills to open and closed objects

A Stroke is the visible outline of an object You can control the width and colour of a Stroke

Every object in your artwork can have one or more Fills and Strokes, or none at all The current Fill and Stroke colours are displayed in the Toolbox

Fill your rectangle

with colour Steps

1 Using the Select and transform objects tool (F1) select one of your rectangles

2 Choose Object>Fill and Stroke

3 From the Fill and Stroke dialogue choose colours for the Fill and Stroke and change the width of the Stroke

Notes

Choose Fill

type, colour

and opacity

Choose Stroke

type, colour

and opacity

Set the Stroke style

Working with Layers

Organise your document using Layers and the Layers dialogue When creating complex artwork, it’s a challenge to keep track of all the items in your drawing Small items get hidden under larger items, and selecting artwork becomes

difficult Layers provide a way to manage all the items that make up your artwork Think of layers as clear folders that contain artwork If you reshuffle the folders, you

change the stacking order of the items in your artwork

The structure of layers in your document can be as simple or complex as you want it to be By default, all items are organized in a single, parent layer However, you can create new layers and move items into them, or move elements from one layer to another at any time The Layers panel provides an easy way to hide and lock artwork Create a new

document Steps

1 Choose File>New and select the Default document You can change the size of the document and the units by choosing File>Document Properties

Examine your

Layers dialogue Steps

Inkscape documents are automatically set up with one layer called Layer 1 All artwork you create is automatically placed in this layer

1 Choose Layer>Layers

2 Your Layers dialogue should look similar to the image below At the moment your document contains one layer called Layer 1

Notes

Create a new layer

Layer name, double-click to rename Turn Layer on or off

Lock or Unlock Layer

Layer blending mode and opacity controls

Organise your document using Layers and the Layers dialogue To add a new layer, you just click the button with the blue plus sign which opens the Add Layer dialogue In this dialogue you can name your layer and also choose to add it above or below the current layer or as a sub-layer The four arrow buttons allow you to change the order of layers, moving a layer to the top, up one level, down one level and to the bottom The button with the blue minus sign will delete a layer, but note that any objects on that layer will also be deleted

Rename Layer 1 Steps

1 Click over the name Layer 1 in the Layers dialogue It should become highlighted allowing you to type in a new name

2 Rename the layer image Create two new

layers Steps

1 Click the button with the blue plus-sign in the Layers dialogue

2 Call your new layer circle and click Add Create a third layer and call it rectangle

Add artwork to your layers

You can select a layer by clicking on it Once selected the layer will be blue Once a layer has been selected all objects that you add to your document are applied to this layer

Add artwork to

your layers Steps

1 Select the circle layer by clicking on it The layer should turn blue in the Layers dialogue

2 Create a circle and apply stroke and fill

3 Select the rectangle layer by clicking on it The layer should turn blue in the Layers dialogue

4 Create a rectangle and apply stroke and fill Move your artwork Steps

1 Rearrange your artwork so that the circle and the rectangle overlap each other as shown in the image below

2 To move artwork first select the appropriate layer and

then select and move the artwork using the Select and transform objects tool (F1)

Change the layer order

The four arrow buttons along the bottom of the Layers dialogue allow you to change the order of layers, moving a layer to the top, up one level, down one level and to the bottom

Change the layer

order Steps

1 Select the circle layer by clicking on it The layer should turn blue in the Layers dialogue

2 Click the Raise the current layer button to move the circle layer above the rectangle layer

The circle should now sit above the rectangle Hiding and revealing layers

You can use the Layers dialogue to hide objects quickly without deleting them This could be useful if you wanted to apply different text on a common background

To the left of each layer in the Layers dialogue is an eye icon and you only need to click on this to hide a layer The closed eye icon indicates a hidden layer and clicking it will make a layer visible

Hide and reveal

layers Steps

1 Experiment with clicking on the eye icons to hide and reveal your layers

Locking and unlocking layers

If you have objects within a document that you don’t want moved or deleted, you can lock the layer that they are on

A layer is locked by clicking on the open padlock icon next to it, which then changes to a closed padlock Clicking the closed padlock will unlock the layer again

Lock and unlock

layers Steps

1 Experiment with clicking on the padlock icons to lock and unlock your layers

Layer blending modes

Inkscape offers a number of blending modes that alter the appearance of layers By default, layers are set to Normal mode, but the Blend mode drop down allows you to change the mode to Multiply, Screen, Darken and Lighten

Import an image Steps

1 Select the image layer

2 Choose File>Import Select the image file called ripples 02.jpg and click Open

3 The jpeg GDX pixbuf Input dialogue will appear Choose to embed the image and click OK

The image will appear in your document underneath the circle and the rectangle because it has been placed on the image

layer

4 You may need to move the image using the Select and transform objects tool (F1)

Change a layers

blending mode Steps

1 Select either the circle or rectangle layer

2 From the bottom of the Layers dialogue change the layers blending mode using the Blend mode drop down menu You can also experiment with the layer Opacity Save your

document Steps

1 Choose File>Save As

2 Choose a name for your file and a location to save it Then

click Save

3 Keep this document open; you will be using it for the next exercise

Gradients

Exercise - Create a Gradient

You can use the Gradient editor (accessed via the Fill and Stroke dialogue) or the Create and edit gradients tool to apply, create, and modify gradients

Gradient colours are defined by a series of stops along the gradient slider A stop

marks the point at which a gradient changes from one colour to the next

Using the options in the Gradient dialogue or with the Create and edit gradients tool, you can specify the number and location of stops, angle in which the colors display, and the opacity of each colour

Continue working with the document you created for the layers exercises

Steps

1 Continue working with the document you created for the layers exercise

2 Alternatively open the file called Gradient 01.svg Fill the path with a

gradient Steps

1 Select one of the shapes, either the rectangle or the circle Choose Object>Fill and Stroke to launch the Fill and

Stroke dialogue

Set a gradient for

the paths fill type Steps

1 Select the Fill tab and then choose Linear gradient for

the fill type Notes

First choose Linear gradient

for the Fill and then

Edit the gradient Steps

1 Click the Edit button in the Fill and Stroke dialogue This launches the Gradient editor dialogue

3 Begin by changing the start and end colours of you gradient by selecting the colour stops See image below

Add another

colour stop Steps

1 Add another colour stop, change it’s colour and adjust it’s position using the Offset slider

Notes

Add or delete colour stops

Choose colour mode and select colour and opacity

Select a colour stop

Adjust the direction of the gradient

Steps

1 Select the Create and edit gradients tool (Ctrl + F1) from the Tool Box

2 You will see that a line with three control points has appeared across the selected shape

3 Experiment with clicking-and-dragging the control points to adjust the direction and length of the gradient and the positions of the colour stops

Try applying a gradient to a shapes Stroke

Steps

1 Try applying a gradient to a shapes Stroke Notes 1st colour stop Beginning of gradient Click-and-drag to move

Working with Nodes

A path is made up of one or more straight or curved segments At the beginning and end of each segment are nodes You change the shape of a path by editing its nodes You can control curves by dragging the control points at the end of the handles that appear at nodes

A path is either open, like an arc, or closed, like a circle For an open path, the starting and ending nodes for the path are called endpoints

Paths can have two kinds of nodes - corner nodes and smooth nodes At a corner node, a path abruptly changes direction At a smooth node, path segments are connected as a continuous curve You can draw a path using any combination of corner and smooth nodes If you draw the wrong kind of point, you can always change it

Nodes on a path A Four corner nodes B Four smooth nodes C Combination of corner and smooth nodes A corner node can connect any two straight or curved segments, while a smooth node always connects two curved segments

A corner node can connect both straight segments and curved segments

Exercise - Introducing the Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool

The Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool (Shift + F6) draws straight and curved lines to create objects

The simplest paths you can draw with the tool are straight lines, made by clicking to create nodes By continuing to click, you create a path made of straight line segments connected by corner points

Create a new

document Steps

1 Choose File>New>A4_landscape Create straight

lines with the Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool

Steps

1 Select the Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool (Shift + F6)

2 Position the tool where you want the straight segment to

begin, and click to define the first node

If direction lines appear, you accidentally dragged the tool;

press escape and start again.

3 Click again to create the first line or segment Continue

clicking to draw a path like the one shown below When you

have finished press Enter

Turn some of the segments into

curves with the Edit paths by nodes tool

Steps

The Edit paths by nodes tool (F2) changes smooth nodes to corner nodes and vice versa

1 Select the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2) Click on the path you want to modify

3 Position the Edit paths by nodes tool over a node you want to convert and click to select it It should change colour, from grey to yellow

4 From the Tool Controls panel choose Make selected nodes smooth

The node becomes a smooth node You will notice that handles have appeared from the node

5 Adjust the curve of the segments by clicking-and-dragging the control points at the ends of the handles Turn some of the

nodes into corner nodes

Steps

1 To convert a smooth node to a corner node first select the

node with the Edit paths by nodes tool

2 Then select Make selected nodes corner from the Tool Controls panel

The node becomes a corner node Initially it will not look any different However, when you drag the control points at the ends of the handles you will see that you can move them independently and create a corner node

3 Adjust the curve of the segments by clicking-and-dragging the control points at the ends of the handles

Save your

document Steps

1 Choose File>Save As

2 Give your document a name and choose Inkscape SVG (*.svg) from the Save as type drop-down menu

Exercise - Create a Heart

Continue working with the document you created in the previous exercise Create a heart

shape with straight lines

Steps

1 Using the Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool (Shift + F6) create a heart shape with straight lines

2 End or close the path by clicking on the original/first node

Transform the straight lines into curves

Steps

1 Use the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2) to select nodes to convert into smooth nodes

Fill your heart shaped path with colour

Steps

1 Ensure the heart shape is still selected If not, select it using the Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool (Shift +

F6)

2 Change the Fill and Stroke colours using the Fill and Stroke dialogue (choose Object>Fill and Stroke )

Notes

Choose Fill

type, colour

and opacity Set colour mode/space

Choose Stroke

type, colour

and opacity

Exercise - Create a cloud shape Use the Draw

Bezier curves and straight lines tool to create the cloud shape.

Steps

1 From the Tool Box, select the Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool (Shift + F6)

2 Using the Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool create a cloud shape similar to the one shown in the image

below End or close the path by clicking on the original/first

node

Convert nodes Steps

1 Select the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2)

2 Use the various options for the Edit paths by nodes tool in the Tool Controls panel to convert all of the corner nodes to smooth nodes

Notes

Make selected nodes smooth Make selected nodes symmetric

Save your

document Steps

1 Choose File>Save

Closing paths

Exercise - Create a Flag

Join selected nodes: The Join selected nodes option connects the endpoints of an open path to create a closed path or joins the endpoints of two open paths

Continuing

working with the same document

Steps

1 Continue working with the same document

2 Should you require it, you can Open the document called

Inkscape Introduction 01 - part 01.svg

Create a flag

shaped path Steps

1 Use the Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool (Shift + F6) and the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2)

to create a flag shape as shown in the image below Ensure the flag is an open path because we will be joining

the end points in the next task

Notes

start

Join the nodes together to create a closed path

Steps

1 To join two nodes together you first need to select them

2 Select the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2) Click on the path to select it Then click and drag a selection marquee around the two open nodes

4 From the Tool Controls panel choose Join selected nodes

5 In preparation for the next task choose Edit>Undo: Join nodes

Connect the nodes with a new segment

Steps

1 To join two nodes together you first need to select the path

2 Select the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2) Click on the path to select it

4 Select the Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool (Shift + F6)

5 Position the tool over one of the nodes It should turn red Click and move the tool to the other node When it turns red click on it

The path should now be closed by the new segment connecting the previously open nodes

Exercise - Modify a path using the Linked Offset command You can create a replica of an object, set off from the selected object by a specified

distance, by using the Linked Offset command This is useful when you want to create concentric shapes or make many replications of an object with regular distances between each

The Linked Offset command makes a copy of a path that can then be enlarged or shrunk A handle controls the magnitude of the offset The original object is not

converted to a path and remains editable, and the changes are reflected in linked

copies More than one link can be made Continuing working with

the same document Steps

1 Continue working with the same document

2 Should you require it, you can Open the document called Inkscape Introduction 01 - part 02.svg

Use the Offset Path

command Steps

1 Select the flag shape you made earlier using the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2)

2 Choose Path>Linked Offset

3 Click-and-drag the handle to offset the path The original path and the offset path are linked Any changes you make to the shape of original path will be applied to the offset path

The offset path can be converted to an editable path by choosing Path>Object to Path The link is then broken and the offset path can be edited using the Edit paths by nodes tool

Notes

Modifying paths

Modify the two paths

making up the flag Steps

Using the Linked Offset command has created a replica

of the flag, set off from the original flag by a specified

distance

You can select each of the flag shapes using the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2) and adjust their fill

and stroke attributes

1 Try filling the inner flag shape with a colour and giving the outer flag shape a thicker, coloured stroke

Exercise - Modify a path using the Stroke to Path command One simple way to make a shape that you can use as a building block to create your design, is to convert a path with a thick stroke into an object

Duplicate a path Steps

1 Using the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2) select the path you made in the earlier, Draw Bezier curves and straight lines tool, exercise Choose Edit>Copy and then Edit>Paste

3 Use the Select and transform objects tool to move the duplicate path into an empty area of your artboard

Increase the Stroke

weight Steps

1 Ensure your path is still selected

2 Set the Fill to None and set the Stroke Width to about 20 pt

Create an Outline Stroke Steps

1 Ensure your path is still selected Choose Path>Stroke to Path

You will notice that your path has changed from a line with a thick stroke to a path with no stroke Instead,

the path is filled with colour

New nodes have been created around the outside of the path You can select, move and modify these using the Edit paths by nodes tool

Notes

Exercise - Modify a path using the Break path at selected nodes command

The Break path at selected nodes command cuts paths at specified nodes

In this exercise you will cut the heart shaped path in half, delete one half, duplicate the remaining half and join them back together to create a symetrical shape

Continue using the

same document Steps

1 Select the heart shape you made earlier using the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2)

Use the Scissors Tool to cut the path as specified points.

Steps

1 Selecting the path will enable you to see its nodes Select the anchor points, as shown in the image below, one at a time

3 Then choose Break path at selected nodes from the Tool Controls

When you split the path at a node, a new node appears on top of the original node, and one node is selected

Notes

Select this node

Delete one half of the

heart Steps

1 Select the heart shape using the Edit paths by nodes tool (F2) and choose Path>Break Apart

2 Choose Edit>Deselect

3 Use the Select and transform objects tool to select one half of the heart and then delete it

Reflect and copy the remaining half of the heart shape

Steps

1 Select the remaining half with the Select and transform objects tool

2 Choose Edit>Copy then Edit>Paste In Place. Choose Object>Flip Horizontal

4 Use the cursor or arrow keys to move the copied half horizontally into position Your two halves may not join properly at this stage

Join the two halves

together Steps

1 Use the Edit paths by nodes tool to select both halves of your heart Select one half and then Shift-select the other half

2 Choose Path>Combine

3 Use the Edit paths by nodes tool to select and join the nodes

Your heart shape should now be a symetrical, single, closed path

Save your document

You will need to join this pair of nodes to

-gether

Working with Text and Paths Exercise - Create text inside a shape

Using the Create and edit text objects tool, you can create type anywhere in a file

simply by clicking and starting to type

In addition, you can flow text into shapes or onto paths Create a new

document. Steps

1 Choose File>New>Default Create some text Steps

1 Select the Create and edit text objects tool (F8) from the Tool Box

2 Click somewhere in your document and type some text Create a shape Steps

1 Select the Create circles, ellipses, and arcs tool (F5) from the Tool Box

2 Click-and-drag to create a circle Flow the text into

the shape Steps

1 Select the text and the shape by holding down Shift and selected them with the Select and transform objects tool Then choose Text>Flow into Frame

The text will flow into the frame You can continue editing or

adding to the text by clicking on it with the Create and edit text objects tool

Flow text around a

shape Steps

1 Create some text and a circle as you did in the task above Select both the text and the circle

Saving your document

Exercise - Saving your Inkscape document As an SVG file (.svg)

Inkscape drawings are saved as SVG files SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics

which is an XML standard for describing a drawing using vector graphics As a PDF (.pdf)

You can save your Inkscape document as a PDF (Portable Document Format)

The advantage of using PDF is that it preserves the layout and content of your original Inkscape document without your audience needing to have access to Inkscape PDFs

can also have small file sizes and are cross platform compatible As an EPS (.eps)

You can save your Inkscape document as an EPS (Portable Document Format)

EPS files can be inserted into Microsoft Word As a Bitmap (.png)

You can save your Inkscape document in a bitmap (raster) file format Inkscape

exports to the PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format

PNG supports lossless compression and is more appropriate for artwork containing text and line art

Save your

document as an SVG file

Steps

1 Throughout the exercises you have been asked to save your document By default Inkscape has been saving the

document as an SVG file

This file format will save the document and include your

layers Think of this as your master document

2 If you choose File>Save As you should see Inkscape SVG (*.svg) is selected in the Save as type: field

3 If you wanted to you could enter a new name for your document in the File name: field

Save your document as a PDF

Steps

1 Choose File>Save As again

This time choose Portable Document Format (*.pdf) from the Save as type: field

2 You can use the same name or type a different one Click Save

4 The Portable Document Format dialogue will appear Click OK to save the document as a PDF

Notes

For more information on LaTeX visit http://www.latex-project.org/ Save your

document as an EPS

Steps

1 Choose File>Save As again

This time choose Encapsulated PostScript (*.eps) from the Save as type: field

2 You can use the same name or type a different one Click Save

4 The Encapsulated PostScript dialogue will appear Click OK to save the document as an EPS

Notes Save your document as a bitmap/raster image (PNG file)

Steps

1 Choose File>Export Bitmap

Further information

Bibliography and Recommended reading

You will find most information on the Inkscape website:

• http://inkscape.org/

There is a good online manual available here:

• http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/index.html Tips and tricks

• http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Tricks_and_tips

Macintosh keyboard equivalents

Command (or Apple) key (MAC) = Control (Ctrl) key (PC) Ctrl key (MAC) = Alt key (PC)

This documentation uses the terms of the PC keyboard, and so speaks of the “Control” (Ctrl) key and the “Alt” key, but these have different meanings in the Macintosh world The Mac usually has (moving from the leftmost bottom corner of the keyboard inwards toward the space bar) a “Control” key in the same position as the PC control key Then there is an “Option” key, which has a funny symbol and “Alt” written on it, in the position where a “Windows” key often appears on PC keyboards Then, next to the space bar, there is a “Command” key, with an Apple logo and a sort of quadrifoil symbol,

which occupies the space in which you usually find the Alt key on a PC

The problem is that, although the PC and the Mac have a key marked “Control” in the same position on the keyboard, they use this key differently Whereas PC users use, for example, Control-C to copy and Control-S to save, Mac users are accustomed to Command-C and Command-S

Use the Command (or Apple) key as the Control key Thus Command-S will save the

file Since you cannot use the Option key (which is marked “Alt”), because it is used

IT Learning Programme

Carl Wenczek

Programme

Programme

Creating and editing paths Working with text

Layers

What is Inkscape

Why use Inkscape

Vector Raster

Raster graphics 01

Described by the order of single dots (pixels) in

a matrix

Suitable for graphics where the colour information changes from dot to dot (e.g.

photographs)

Larger than vector image files

Difficult to convert a raster image to a vector

Raster images not scale as well as vector

images

Their sharpness depends on their resolution They are resolution dependant

50% 100% 200%

Vector graphics 01

Described by mathematic formula

A circle would be defined by its centre (in the

form of a coordinate), its diameter and the thickness and colour of the line

Suitable for graphics containing elements like

Vector graphics scale well, retaining their

sharpness and detail

They are resolution independant

50% 100% 200%

Bezier curves

Inkscape uses straight lines and Bezier curves

to create shapes and lines that can be scaled indefinitely

Demonstrations

File formats

Inkscape - .svg use master file

retains layers

Portable Document Format - .pdf

shift